Family members of a woman shot and killed by an L.A. County Sheriff’s Deputy in Lancaster last month during a domestic dispute are speaking out about the beloved mother of 2 children and the $70 million wrongful death lawsuit filed against the sheriff’s department.
The incident occurred on Dec. 4 after the sheriff’s department received a call from 27-year-old Niani Finlayson, who reported being a victim of domestic violence at the hands of her boyfriend.
When deputies responded to the apartment in the 2100 block of East Avenue J-8, they heard an ongoing argument inside. Finlayson opened the front door “while armed with a large kitchen knife” as authorities approached the front door, LASD said.
In recently released body-worn camera footage, the 27-year-old is heard saying, “I’m going to stab him,” referring to her boyfriend, who she claimed had pushed her daughter.
She then moved to an area near where her boyfriend was sitting down. When deputies entered the home, they said, “Finlayson grabbed her boyfriend while holding the knife in an apparent attempt to stab him, and a deputy-involved shooting occurred.”
Deputy Ty Shelton opened fire on Finlayson, who was struck and collapsed to the floor, all of this while her 9-year-old daughter watched the shooting unfold.
The 27-year-old mother of two children later died at the hospital.
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Authorities respond to a Lancaster apartment where Niani Finlayson was fatally shot on Dec. 4, 2023. (Don Luis Meza) -
A vigil held on Dec. 23, 2023 to remember Niani Finlayson who was shot and killed by L.A. County deputies in Lancaster. (KTLA) -
A vigil held on Dec. 23, 2023 to remember Niani Finlayson who was shot and killed by L.A. County deputies in Lancaster. (KTLA)
Reacting to the body-worn camera footage of the incident released late last month, the victim’s father, Lamont Finlayson, expressed dismay at the shooting.
“When you look at the bodycam, you just have to shake your head and say, ‘Oh my God, what happened? What happened?’” he told KTLA’s Lauren Lyster. “They’re supposed to be there to save her life, not to kill her. You throw the taser down and just automatically go for your weapon within one second. When I look at that, I’m saying, ‘Why is he still on the force?’ Where does this guy come from, where’s his training?”
In response to the case, the sheriff’s department said that with all deputy-involved shootings, there is a thorough review process, including by the Office of the Inspector General, the L.A. County District Attorney’s Office and more, where every aspect of the shooting is evaluated.
L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna stated in part:
“The department released the body-worn camera footage ahead of the legal timeframe to demonstrate a commitment to transparency and visual representation of the facts.”
Legally, the department is required to release the bodycam footage within 45 days of the shooting.
The family’s attorney, Bradley Gage, says the $70 million suit is for wrongful death and civil rights violations, arguing that the deputy should have avoided lethal force.
“They could’ve deescalated a number of ways,” Gage said. “Number one, they could have just used command presence and given clear instructions – ‘Come out now, drop the knife.’ They could’ve also used a taser if they thought it was a truly dangerous situation.”
Gage told KTLA that the family has filed a precursor to the lawsuit and that they then plan to sue L.A. County, the sheriff’s department and Deputy Ty Shelton.
Shelton, according to the sheriff’s department, has been removed from field duty pending the results of the investigation into the deadly force encounter.